Wireless networking is a simple sell; it's easy to understand the convenience of unwiring your notebook. Finding the right hardware, however, is anything but easy.

The confusion begins with advertising circulars jammed with ads for wireless routers and client cards in the Fast, Faster, and Fastest categories. These ads are filled with speed ratings, performance claims, and references to emerging technologies, all more likely to confuse than educate.

Comparison shopping is no snap, either. Product packaging can be even more bewildering than the circulars. Boxes are covered with claims like "5X faster," "10X faster," "35% improvement," "MIMO," "Smart Antennas," "108 Mbps," "125 Mbps Pre-N," and much morenone of it explained. Store clerks will likely just push you toward whichever end of the price spectrum currently has a larger margin. With prices for wireless routers ranging from $9.95 (after rebate) to $179.95, and notebook adapters running from $14.95 to $129.95, it's no wonder shoppers wander the aisles like lost souls, asking, "5X faster than what?" "Is 'fast' fast enough?" "How much do I really need to spend?"

That's where PC Magazine comes in. We'll tell you not only what the terms mean, but also what class of router is right for you, and which unit is best in its class.

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